Most refrigerators these days come with an ice maker and a dispenser for ice and water conveniently located in the door. Some models even make it possible to simultaneously dispense ice and water into the same cup to make it even easier to get cold water. However, in areas where the tap water doesn’t taste very good, people often neglect the refrigerator’s dispenser in favor of bottled water. A better solution is to install the type of filter designed for that refrigerator so the ice and water it dispenses taste great and are free of contaminants.

Choosing the Right Fridge

Not all refrigerators are capable of dispensing filtered water, so it’s important to start with the right fridge. Most major brands make at least some models with filters, and they are generally in the side-by-side or French door designs. When selecting a refrigerator, it’s also important to choose a model with the Energy Star rating, which means it uses less energy to cool food and water. A fridge with both low energy use and the capability to make filtered water will have the greatest positive impact on the environment.

Water filters aren’t all identical, so it’s important to get just the right model of filter so it fits. In general, filters are either located in the grill at the bottom of the refrigerator or in the top right corner of the refrigerator compartment. Installing the wrong type of filter could result in leaks, so this is not an area where there’s much room for error. Here are some of the types of water filters required by popular fridge brands:

Maytag makes four different styles of filters used in its refrigerators. They are distinguished by the location of the filter and whether it has a push button to release the old filter or a system that locks filters in place by turning them. In some designs, two types of filters are able to be used interchangeably, but one type removes cysts from water and the other doesn’t.

LG also makes four different sizes and styles of filters for its refrigerators, in addition to some fridges made by LG but sold under the Kenmore name. The right water filter depends on the location of the filter compartment, which may be in the ceiling of the fridge or the grill.

Whirlpool filters may be located with a turning mechanism in the grill, a push-button mechanism in the fridge compartment, or a turning mechanism in the top corner of the fridge compartment. Each of these locations and configurations has a specific type of filter it needs to work correctly.

Using Filtered Water to its Fullest

Most people picture using a refrigerator dispenser to fill glasses of water to go on the dinner table, but the uses for filtered water go far beyond that. For example, purchasing a reusable water bottle makes it easy to fill that with filtered water and take it out of the home, diminishing the need to purchase beverages outside of the home. Another way to use the filtered water is to put it in a pitcher with other ingredients to make delicious flavored water. Adding slices of citrus fruit, fresh herbs, cucumbers, or berries to water makes an energizing, low-calorie, and inexpensive alternative to juice.

Thousands of refrigerators in homes across the country are capable of dispensing filtered water, but they are missing the key component. Installing a filter and replacing it according to the manufacturer’s schedule, which usually recommends new filters every six months, provides an abundant supply of clean drinking water. It’s easy to get started today with the right filter and kick bottled water to the curb.